Agathor
"None shall fall eh? If that isn't the biggest load of horse shit I've ever been served." —Soldras Reddigan Agathor is a human nation located in central Thanalor, currently ruled by Lelliana Reddigan. Founded by the legendary Agathor the Great and his Faithful Five, it has long served as a symbol of human strength and resilience. Agathor is ruled by a hereditary monarchy, a lineage which also serves as the basis for the transfer of the position of the Herald of the Council of Kings. The sigil of Agathor is a silver roc on a navy blue background. Their words are "None Shall Fall", a reminder of the vow Agathor the Great took thousands of years ago. Nyralor is its capital: the largest and oldest city in all of Thanalor. History Agathor can trace its roots to the ancient Agathori Tribe, one of several that crossed The Western Waters in search of a new homeland. Shortly after First Landing, the elves of Leavenwood provided the human tribes with the land of Thanalor. In response, Agathor the Great and his Faithful Five led the Agathori Tribe on a great journey into the heart of Thanalor, searching for a place where they could establish a new home. Their trek eventually led them to the Plains of Delethor: a fertile region in which the great Palenir river flows. Agathor declared that this land would serve as the new home of his people, and work quickly began on what would become the city of Nyralor: the first city ever built by men on Karothoz. Shortly after Nyralor was constructed, Agathor and his armies joined the elvish houses in their war against the dwarves, and in doing so successfully fulfilled the deal that was struck after First Landing. Agathor died sometime after the war, allowing his son Khalithod to come into power. One of Khalithod's first actions as leader of the Agathori was to establish a clear system of power: a hereditary monarchy. He also named his kingdom in honour of his father. The First Ghalendan War In 340 A.G.W. Agathor had grown to become one of the most eminent kingdoms in Thanalor--her capital Nyralor remained the largest and most prosperous city in the subcontinent, and her lands had grown to encompass the entirety of central Thanalor, and all territory south of the Volithon not claimed by Reddigania or the Ghalendan Empire. But for The Great Severance The Great Prophet Daloth was one of the first men to successfully integrate into Elvish society. After spending a decade living amongst the elves, he single-handedly constructed a road from Leavenwood to Lokthor. When Daloth returned to his homeland in 707 A.G.W., he brought teachings which he claimed to have received from the "Holy Mother." Daloth implored his fellow men to turn their backs on the Old Ones, and worship only his Holy Mother, who he believed to be the one true god. His teachings spread slowly at first, but after several years the majority of the people of northern Agathor had begun worshipping the Holy Mother. However, the rural south still believed in the Old Ones of their ancestors. Daloth's influence spread so far, that it eventually reached the royal palace of Nyralor. The royal family were split in their beliefs: some believed in the Goddess, others the Old Ones. This theological conflict was far more noticeable between Agathor II's sons Dilaron and Khalithod II. Dilaron firmly believed in the traditional ways of the Agathori, while Khalithod had come to believe in the Holy Mother after a priestess saved his wife's life during childbirth. The relationship between the two brothers became so tense that one night during an extremely heated argument, Dilaron slit the throat of Khalithod's daughter Rothlora I, claiming that she only lived because of a witch's dark magic. Shortly after, Dilaron fled the north and joined with armies loyal to him in southern Agathor. He proclaimed that all lands south of the Volithon river belonged not to the royal family, but to the people of the south who still believed in the Old Ones. Khalithod quickly gathered his armies and marched south, hoping to end the rebellion before it became uncontrollable. Loyalist and rebel forces met each other by the Volithon river, with Khalithod's forces on the northern banks, and Dilaron's on the south. A bloody battle began soon after. The river's shallow waters allowed both armies to cross with ease, but it was Dilaron's wolfriders which provided the rebel forces with a great advantage, and allowed them to slaughter thousands of loyalist men. It is said that the battle was so gruesome, that the waters of the Volithon were tinged red with blood for a week after.